Researchers from security firm Cofense have revealed hackers are using emails pretending to be from Skype, the popular Microsoft-owned video calling tool, in order to trick home workers into handing over their login details.

Criminals could then use these logins to access corporate networks to spread malware or steal valuable information.

Skype security

The report, released by the Cofense Phishing Defense Center (PDC) saw attackers creating an email that looks eerily similar to a legitimate pending notification coming from Skype. If an unsuspecting recipient goes to “review” the notification, they are redirected via an app.link to a phishing page designed to harvest your password.

The use of .app top-level domains (TLD) adds an extra layer of deception to the attack, as this TLD is backed by Google to help app developers securely share their apps.

An .app domain also requires the use of HTTPS to connect, adding security on both the user’s and developer’s end – in this case, making the victim consider they are clicking on a legitimate link.

Cofense says that such fake emails can be detected through checking the "sent from" field, as although the sender address may appear legitimate at first glance, the real sender can be found there, exposing them as a fraud.

TechRadar Pro has contacted Skype for comment.

Video calling apps such as Skype have seen a huge rise in users over the past few weeks as employees around the world transition to working from home.

However this growth has also revealed a number of security worries, with Zoom in particular having several issues highlighted. Even though the platform has seen its users base surge to 200 million, it has been heavily criticised for failing to stop Zoombombing incidents and for sending data to Facebook and China.